44°
“This bipartisanship is really working,” democratic Councilman Christopher Johnson sarcastically quipped after hours of banter between City Council members.
Monday’s special afternoon meeting was called in an attempt to find a solution in the ongoing feud over redistricting, a process of drawing legislative boundaries by roughly equal population that is required to occur every 10 years.
On the agenda was a vote on the proposal set forth late last week by Mayor Mike Spano in an attempt to resolve a partisan divide that had been brewing for months. In an email blast Monday morning, the mayor called his proposal a compromise and said it was fair to both parties and the people of Yonkers.
“It keeps neighborhoods together, preserves cultural and ethnic voices, and is fully compliant with the Voting Rights Act,” he said. “It is a plan that puts the people first, and puts politics second.”
Democratic Majority Leader Wilson Terrero joined the council’s GOP members Monday, voting in favor of the plan. His jump across party aisles drew the ire of Council President Chuck Lesnick.
“You are a majority leader,” Lesnick said. "Act like one.”
Still, despite a 4-3 vote in favor, the mayor’s map was rejected thanks to a local law which stated the council must have a supermajority, or five votes, on the legislation.
The law, seemingly unknown to many of the councilmembers, was brought to their attention by Council President Chuck Lesnick immediately after the voting took place.
It sparked a nearly hour-long meeting of councilmen and city attorneys behind closed doors as they debated whether or not the law applied to the vote. Eventually, the lawyers decided it was applicable and the mayor’s plan was rejected.
Monday’s events were the latest chapter in a series of back-and-forths between the elected officials over the redrawing of political boundaries.
Issues began in January when the Democrats released their proposal of the redrawn map. At the time, Democrats said their plan was fairer than the previous maps and reversed “past gerrymandering.”
Republicans, however, took issue with the proposal, calling it an obvious attempt to strengthen Democratic control and minimize GOP representation. In response, Republican the councilmen introduced an “anti-gerrymandering” resolution and eventually released a proposal of their own.
Then, on Friday, in an attempt to settle the partisan divide, Spano issued his own version of a “compromise plan” to redraw boundaries.
The three democrats, however, were quick to dismiss the mayor’s proposed map, contending it preserved the "status quo" while inadequately reflecting the city’s shifting population and omitting required census data.
“And that is unacceptable,” they said in a joint statement.
Instead, Lesnick and the democrats produced their own, revamped map. On Monday, they contended it would save taxpayers thousands of dollars by eliminating smaller, lesser used election districts.
The claims prompted Minority Leader John Larkin to present Lesnick with a miniature Oscar award during the council meeting for the “best fictional story.”
“If you’re going to make an argument, make an argument that’s true,” Larkin said. “Over the last 10 years there have been many E.D.’s that have been consolidated. And it doesn’t take redistricting to do that.”
But it wasn’t just the content of the maps that sparked disagreement amongst the council.
The three democrats also took issue with the timing of the Monday’s vote, calling it an attempt to “hijack the legislative process” for personal motives. Announced on Sunday afternoon, the hastily convened meeting was scheduled for 3 p.m., a time when many concerned voters were unable to attend, they said.
“You should be ashamed,” Johnson said. “You slapped people in the face with this.”
Several residents who did speak before the vote began agreed, criticizing the timing of the meeting. However, they also urged the council to “end the political squabbling” and approve Spano’s plan.
“I believe the mayor’s plan is fair and balanced,” said Sheila Tuohy.
Instead, as a result of Monday’s vote, both the mayor’s plan and the democrat’s revised plan have been sent back to the council's Rules Committee. They are scheduled to be reviewed on Tuesday and voted on at a later date.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Yonkers and receive free news updates.
